ARGYLE — After three ties and eight lead changes in the first half of a Six Rivers crossover game, Argyle went on a 17-0 run and held Belmont scoreless for over six minutes in a 67-56 victory Dec. 13.

“It was huge for us,” Argyle head coach Jesse Halvorsen said of the win. “Down the stretch to be able to close the game out — especially when they started pressuring at the end there and it got a little hectic — to calm down and take control.”

Argyle got off to a slow start trying to defend Belmont’s post player Thomas Freeman. The 6’3” freshman powered through the Orioles’ help defense, drew a foul, and made both free throws. He also showed his range, draining a 3-pointer. Tanner Simmons chipped in, and before the Orioles knew it, they trailed 11-4 six minutes in.

“We tried to front him (Freeman) as much as we could, but I think the biggest thing we changed was trying to send our help over a little more … because when he got it, it was very hard to say it from him,” Halvorsen said. “He’s a big boy, and he knows how to use his body well.” 

It wasn’t until Mason McNett’s old-fashioned 3-point play that Argyle got into a groove. His grit sparked a nine-point run in which the Orioles took their first lead. Max Robertson followed with a jumper on an out-of-bounds play, Ike Waage scored through contact, and Jeremiah Collins’ bucket put Argyle ahead 15-14 at the seven-minute mark.

Belmont and Argyle exchanged the lead on the next six possessions. This time, it was Deacon Kuebli’s fast-break bucket that began a 12-point run that extended to halftime. The Orioles regained the lead on a bucket from Waage and extended it to 36-27 with more points from Kuebli and Waage.

Belmont had three chances to score in the final minute, but the Braves missed three free throws and Braelyn Meinert tipped the buzzer-beating shot.

“It was a pretty crucial moment,” Kuebli said of the late rally. “It got them off their game and got them to start worrying. It was pretty important.” 

Kuebli came out of the locker room strong, scored on a 3-point play and cut to the basket for two with an assist from McNett for a double-digit lead. When Wyatt Temperly sank a 3-pointer, it stopped a 17-point run for Argyle and broke a 6:38 scoring drought for the Braves that spanned back to the first half.

Argyle’s lead hovered around 10 points for the next four minutes until another short rally gave the Orioles their largest lead at 17 points. Jeremiah Collins took a steal back for two points, and Kuebli made one of two free throws on a technical foul from the Braves’ bench. Waage followed up with a bucket to make it a 55-38 game.

But that’s when Belmont applied a full-court press that initially caused problems for the Orioles. As Argyle quickened its pace on offense with little results, Belmont went on a nine-point run. Temperly and Freeman made a pair of free throws, while Simmons made his first of three 3-pointers. When Argyle’s help defense crashed Freeman in the post — just as Halvorsen had coached — it left Zach Knebel wide-open on the weak side for two points. The bucket cut the Oriole lead from 17 points to just eight with six minutes remaining.

That’s when returning first-team all-conference senior Waage stepped up. He scored or assisted in eight of Argyle’s final 10 points, as the Orioles finished the game with a 11-point advantage.

“He’s definitely starting to figure out his role,” Halvorsen said of Waage. “If he wants to get to the rim, he can get to the rim whenever he wants. I thought he did a good job when it did get close of taking it upon himself to get a bucket. I’m impressed with him a lot so far this year.”